


Together

by taitofan



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Diamond & Pearl & Platinum | Pokemon Diamond Pearl Platinum Versions
Genre: M/M, Parent/Child Incest, Past Relationship(s), Present Tense, Shota, Slash, Year by year
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-26
Updated: 2015-01-26
Packaged: 2018-03-09 02:41:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3233219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taitofan/pseuds/taitofan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Palmer will do anything for Barry, because his son is perfect and he loves him more than life itself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Together

At eighteen, Palmer marries a beautiful girl named Clover who has loved him for years.  He isn’t sure if he loves her the same way _she_ loves _him_ , but it’s okay.  She accepts his future goals and doesn’t mind that he closes his eyes during their honeymoon.  And when she gets pregnant following that one night, he’s more excited than he’s ever been.  After all, he’s always wanted a child.

At nineteen, his wife has their child—a baby boy who they name Barry.  He’s small and pudgy like most babies, but he has a wisp of blond hair on his tiny head, and there is no denying that he is Palmer’s son.  He puts aside his dreams to raise Barry with his wife, and he puts up with late night crying, numerous ruined shirts from spit-ups, and more dirty diapers than he’s ever thought one baby can produce, because his son is perfect, and he loves him more than life itself.

At twenty, he celebrates Barry’s first birthday.  Clover tries to convince him that a one-year-old has no use for a big screen TV and a waterbed—“He still sleeps in a crib!”—but he refuses to listen.  After all, his son only deserves the very best, and he’ll have a use for them eventually.  And later that year, when Barry’s first word is _papa_ instead of _mama_ , he takes it as a personal victory.

At twenty-one, he experiences the so-called “terrible twos,” which he thinks are highly overrated.  Sure, Barry goes through a rather rough potty-training period in which he thinks the potty-chair makes a nice hat, but it isn’t _that_ big a deal.  He’s talking and walking and knows who people and things are.  Sure, his skills are still rusty, but Palmer is always there to teach him more.  That year, Clover gets a job at the local flower shop, and they both ignore the fact that the _wife_ is working while the _husband_ raises the child.  They prefer it that way, no matter what their old-fashioned neighbor think.

At twenty-two, Palmer decides that the term “terrible _threes_ ” is far more appropriate.  Barry whines, says no to everything his mother asks of him, and refuses to dress in the morning and go to bed at night…  But his pouting is adorable, he still does everything Palmer asks of him, and truthfully, he has no problems letting his son run around in his footy pajamas and stay up until they both fall asleep on the couch with the TV on.  Clover says he spoils Barry—he says that he doesn’t care.

At twenty-three, he decides to start training his pokémon again, as Barry takes quite an interest in the pretty balls his daddy has that he isn’t allowed to play with.  Thus, Barry meets Rhyperior, Milotic, and Dragonite.  Much to Palmer’s delight, Barry immediately takes a shine to his pokémon.  When Barry says that he wants to be a pokémon trainer when he’s older—“Just like _you,_ Daddy!”—Palmer doesn’t think that he’s ever smiled more in his entire life.

At twenty-four, it all starts, even if no one is aware of it at the time.  Clover finally decides that it’s time for Barry to make friends his own age, so they send him to an afternoon playgroup.  One of Clover’s coworkers has a daughter who enjoys it—a pretty little girl named Dawn.  They quickly become friends with another boy, named Lucas.  Palmer doesn’t mind it _too_ much…  After all, it’s only for a few hours each day, leaving plenty of time for them to spend together afterward.

One day, while Barry is in playgroup, Palmer gets a call from the parent running it, and she tells him to come down to her house right away.  Afraid that his son has fallen and broken his leg and is lying on the ground bleeding, he bolts out of the house and has Dragonite fly him to the woman’s home in virtually no time at all.  He’s a bit confused when they land and Barry runs up to him and jumps into his arms, but he’s relieved nonetheless.  What _really_ confuses him is how the mother blushes and won’t look him in the eyes.

“I-I think you s-should t-take Barry home,” she stutters, thoroughly embarrassed at _something_.  “Ask him w-what we t-talked about…”  He does just that, and can see why the woman was so flustered.

“She asked us what we wanted to be when we grow up.  And I said I wanna be Daddy’s bride!”  Palmer is sure that his face rivals the woman’s.  But no matter how awkward the topic is, he does his best to explain to his five-year-old son why he can’t do that, because they are both boys _and_ related.  Barry only pouts and insists that he _will_ be daddy’s bride, no matter what anyone else thinks.

When Clover comes home from work, he doesn’t tell her about it.

At twenty-five, he gets an offer to be to the Tower Tycoon in the newly built Sinnoh Battle Tower.  It’s an offer of the highest honor, as the Tower Tycoon is required to be stronger than even the League Champion.  After three days of long debate, he agrees to take the job.  Barry cries when he hears the news, begging to go too.  But it’s no place for a young boy, and as desperately as Palmer wants to say yes, wants to never deny Barry _anything_ , he knows he can’t.  So the family travels to Snowpoint City and watches as Palmer boards the ferry to the Battle Tower.

Watching Barry cry and beg for him to come back almost makes him jump off the ferry and _swim_ back, but he blocks out the sight and once he arrives, he decides to throw himself into his work so he won’t constantly think of the family he left behind.  He lasts an impressive two weeks before he starts visiting one weekend a month, with extra time for holidays.  Of course, leaving again always hurts just as much as the very first time.

At twenty-six, Barry’s birthday falls in the middle of the week, and Palmer isn’t able to go home until three days afterwards.  He already feels horrible, but it’s even worse when Barry won’t talk to him all day long.  Clover admits that he’s been moping ever since his birthday, and he knows that he has to make it up to his son.  When he offers to let Barry stay a week with him at the Battle Tower, all is instantly forgiven, and Palmer finds himself with a bundle of blond in his arms.

Barry watches his father battle with pokémon he’s never seen before—Heatran, Regigigas, and Cresselia—and loves every minute of it.  When the time to go home finally comes, he begs to stay, insisting that he’ll be happier there than with his mother who works all of the time.  Palmer smiles sadly and kisses his son’s forehead, promising that he can visit again sometime.  Then he gives him one last birthday present—a green scarf.  “It’ll match your eyes.”

He’s pleased to see Barry wearing it whenever he comes home.

At twenty-seven, Palmer finally realizes that his son’s previous wish is more than just the silly antics of a naïve little boy.  After all, it isn’t everyday that your son suddenly crawls into your lap and kisses you.  And though it’s nothing than a mere brush of their lips, it’s an obvious enough gesture.

“Why?”  Barry smiles at the simple question, and wraps his short arms around his father’s neck before snuggling into his broad chest.

“Because I love you, Daddy.  I’m gonna be your bride when I grow up, remember?”

“Barry, _no_ …  You’re my son and I’m married to your mother.”

“So?  Mom’s never home anyway.  She doesn’t have to know.”

All Palmer can do is gently push Barry off his lap and walk up to his room.  It certainly doesn’t help matters that night when Clover complains that they haven’t made love since Barry was conceived.  Or when he realizes that he simply doesn’t _want_ to.

The rest of that year, he stays at the Battle Tower more often than not.  He tries not to think about Barry, and when he does, he tries to convince himself that his son is still young and doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

And more than anything, he tries to convince himself that he doesn’t like the idea in the first place.

At twenty-eight, he continues to visit only during major holidays.  He sends packages home for Barry’s birthday and the minor holidays.  During the most important holidays—ones he can’t bear to miss, even under the circumstances—he spends his time dodging Barry and his questions.  “Why haven’t you been coming home?” is met with “I’ve been busy at the tower.”  Clover accepts the answer, but _they_ both know better.

He starts receiving letters from Barry that year.  Letters that are surprisingly well written for a nine-year-old, containing things that he would never expect to hear from his son.  How Barry thinks he’s handsome and strong and that he wants to kiss him again.  Thinking about his little boy writing those words makes him feel _things_ …  Things he knows he shouldn’t feel.  He feels dirty, but he doesn’t stop thinking them.

At twenty-nine, he gets a letter from Clover saying that Barry has gotten his first pokémon, a Chimchar, and is finally going out on his own adventure, just as Palmer had done with his Rhyhorn nineteen years ago.  It seems surreal—his son is ten-years-old, has his first pokémon, and is out on his own, able to go wherever he pleases…  And somehow, he has a feeling it won’t be long before Barry finds his way to the Battle Tower.

Sure enough, he hears one day that his son is there to visit.  He almost has security make him enter the tower’s challenge like everyone else has to, but _no_.  He allows Barry past security and up to his room.  Barrry hasn’t been there since he was seven, but it hasn’t changed much.  _They_ haven’t changed much.  Palmer still has the green coat Barry had gotten him for Father’s day—with Clover’s money of course—when he was six, and Barry still wears the green scarf he’d received for his seventh birthday.  Wild blond hair, bright orange eyes…  They look as they always have…

But somehow, Barry is still different.  He seems more confident, more mature…  He makes Palmer feel dirtier than he ever has in his entire life, because Barry is still his ten-year-old son.  But despite all that, when Barry greets him with a chaste kiss on the lips and whispers, “I missed you, Dad,” he does nothing to condone nor condemn his son’s actions.  Barry smirks at the reaction and says he can’t stay long, but he’ll be back.  “After all, I’m gonna be your bride sooner or later.”

He knows he’s lost the battle the night he wakes up with Barry’s name on his lips and dirty sheets.  And he isn’t nearly as upset by it as he’s sure he should be.

At thirty, Barry comes to the tower on his birthday, claiming that since they’ve spent so many birthdays apart, he’ll make sure he turns eleven with his father on his own.  He merely laughs at the idea of inviting his mother.  “I want a _very_ special present,” he whispers, straddling his father, their faces mere centimeters apart, “can you give me that…  _Daddy_?”  Palmer doesn’t even bothered to suppress the shivers that run through his body at those words—words that are far too husky to be coming from someone so young.

“Yes,” he’d answers, putting his arms around the lithe body in his lap, “I think I can.”  And for the first time, Palmer kisses Barry—clicking teeth and bumped noses evened out by roaming hands and slick tongues.  For Barry’s first real kiss, he’s quite good.  It only serves to excite Palmer even more.  Whatever Barry wants, he will give him…

Barry wants it all.

Palmer gives it to him.

“Can I be your bride yet?”  The question comes after Barry’s birthday present has reached its climax, and they’re lying in bed together, nude and satiated.  Palmer pulls his son closer and lays a kiss to his temple, earning a sleepy smile from Barry.

“…Of course.  You’ll be my adorable little wife.”  Barry nods happily and curls up to his father’s chest, sleep overtaking him.  Palmer lays awake, watching his son sleep and wondering how this has happened—how his love has gone from platonic to _this_.  By the time he falls asleep, he decides that it really doesn’t matter…

Because his son is perfect, and he loves him more than life itself.


End file.
